The Yellowstone County Guardianship Council is a volunteer organization of professionals and community members who operate under the umbrella of Big Sky Senior Services. It is the mission of the Council to serve the elderly through the knowledge and expertise of our volunteer council.
The Council is not able to provide emergency guardianship or guardianships for individuals under the age of 60. Guardianships under the age of 60 may occasionally be considered in rare circumstances.
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The Council serves as a long-term advocate for cognitively incapacitated individuals who reside in Yellowstone County, assisting with healthcare and daily living decisions when no family is willing or able to provide this for the individual.
The Council requires that the potential Ward be a resident of a long-term care facility or group home and have a physician signed letter or statement of incapacity.
Steps for Guardianship Consideration
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Request and return completed Referral Form and supporting documents.
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Following receipt of the Referral Form, the Administrative Support person for the Yellowstone County Guardianship Council will call to verify all referral information.
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Council will review at our next meeting. (Council meets the first Thursday of each month except July). A consensus decision to pursue or not is made.
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Two members of the Council will visit the individual within the month of referral and write a report of their experience, shared with all Council members either at the next Council meeting or via email.
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If the Council does not recommend guardianship, the Council Administrator will contact the referring agency about the decision.
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If the Council recommends guardianship, the legal process is begun, and may take as little as two weeks or as long as several months. The Council Administrator will notify the referring agency of the decision and report on progress with the legal process.
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Because we are a volunteer Council, a waiting list may be necessary when too many referrals come to us given our Council capacity. Should that be the case, the referring source will be advised.